Musical instrument.



W. I. KIRK.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATIQN FILED MAR.18.1918.

Patented Apr. I5, 1919.

l @aff UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

WALTER I. KIRK, OF-CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO LYON & HEALY, OF CHICAGO,

' ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

Application led March 18, 1918.l Serial No. 223,116.

T0 all whom t may concern: Y

Be it known that I, WALTER I. KIRK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to musical instruments, and especially to harps or the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide means whereby a musical instrument may be tuned without requiring the use of the separate tuning device.

Another object of the invention is to conceal such means so that to all intents and purposes the musical instrument may appear to be in the ordinary or usual form.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby a harp may be provided vwith an arrangement by which it may be tuned without the use of a separate tuning instrument; and also to conceal such arrangement so that the harp may appear from the outside to all intents and purposes as the usual form of harp.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new, novel, and advantageous construction oftuning device.

A still further object of the invention is to provide Va construction of tuning device which may be readily appliedjto aharp or other musical instrument, and` which is particularly adapted to be located and secured in; a concealed position in amusical instrument or elsewhere and operated by the player thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side'elevation of a harp embodying my present invention; Y

Fig. 2 is aview of the inside of the body, with the sounding board removed; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line which is preferably rectangular in form, although it may be of different cross sectional shapes. This tubular member 5 is intended for use as a resonator and is closed throughout except for an opening 6 in its upper end. Above the tubular resonator 5 is a tuning fork 7 which is arranged lengthwise of the resonator 5 with the two ends or prongs adjacent to the upper end of the member 5 and tothe aperture 6 therein. A striker 8 is arranged to strike one of the prongs 7. This striker 8 is preferably mounted upon a swinging member 9 which is pivoted at 10 and has an extension 11 so that said member 9 may be swung back and forth to cause the striker 8 to act against adjacent prong 7 and thereby operate the tuning fork.

As a matter of further and specific im'- provement I arrange to mount all of the above parts and secure the same in position by means of a strap l2 having a portion 12n which may be and is secured to the inner wall of the body 1 by means of screws 13-13, lsaid strap 12 also having a portion 12b to which the resonator 5 is secured as by brazing or otherwise. This strap 12 also has a cross portion 12c to which the upper end of the tuning fork 7'is secured, as for example by means of a screw portion 15 passing through said part l2c and being provided with set nuts 16 and 17. A further portion 12d of said strap 12 extends upwardly from the portion 12c and supports the pivot 10` upon which the swinging mem-- ber9 is pivoted. A bumper 18 is preferably mounted on the swinging member 9 and is arranged to strike against a buffer or abutment 19 on the strap, portion 12d, the buiier 19,v being desirably provided with a strip 20 offelt for softening or deadening the blow. vA coiledY spring 21 is preferably mounted upon the pivot 10 and arranged to act against the extension 11 of the swinging member 9 in such a way as to cause the member 11 to permit the member 9 to swing to the tuning fork 7 and strike the same. Thus while sitting at the harp the operator may actuate 'thetuningl fork land:

may do this repeatedly as often as desired totune his instrument.

It will be seen that the tuning forklinstrument is entirely concealed and will not be visible without close' inspection of the instrument from the exterior of the' same. Also that the presence of the tuning fork makes unnecessary a separate tuning fork instrument and permits the harp operator' or player to tune his instrument without the need of any separatel or other device, the tuning fork and harp being to all intents and purposes a single instrument.

It will be understood that such a tuning fork arrangement maybe applied to'musi'cal instruments other than harps and also' that the character or construction of the tuning fork device may be4 dii'erent fronrthat here*- in shown while still embodyin'gthe broader features' of the invention, 'and thatthe' location of the tuning fork device relatively to the musical instrument may be varied. tv

will also be seen that the particular' construction of tuning fork device 'herein disclosed may be used for other purposes thanin con nection Ywith a musical instrument, being ca-V pable of use by itself, although it'i's/particularly well adapted for use in the manner shown or in other' ways where it isV desired to secure such a device upon a wallo'r sup- Port Y Y It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made without depart-Y ing fromthe spirit of the invention.

What I claim is: i

1. A harp having a hollow body Vprovide-f1 Y With an aperture and a tuning fork device' locatedwithin the'hollow body and' having a Striker arrangedk adj acent'to's'aid aperture. 2. A harp having ahollowbod provided with an aperture anda tuning orkdevice located within the hollow body and having at. A tuning fork device comprising tu- Y Vbular resonator having an aperture at its upper end, vmetal strapV secured to'- the side of said' resonator and extending u-pwardly from the same, and a tuningfork secured to said strap and extending down to the'"resonator so that'i-tsprongs' are adjacent to the 'apeiture therein, and a striker extending'len'gthwi-se of Said orlra'nd'pivoted near thev upper end to the same.

5. A tuning fork device comprising a tubular resonator'having'an apertureI at its upper' end, a'metal strap secured to the' side of said resonator-and extending upwardly from the same, and a tuning jfork secured to said strap andextending down to the resonator so' that its'pron'gs' are adjacent *tojthe' aper-v ture therein, and a sprin'gcontrolled 'striker extending lengthwise of saidfork and"pivot-A e'r nearthe'upper end'to the same.

6. tuning forktdevice compri e bular resonater having Van*v aperture" at .its upper'end, a metal strap securedtof-the side of saidresonator and'extending upwardly 'from'the same, and a tuningforkV secured to' said strap and exten'dmgg;V down to: the resonator so that its prongsA areadjacenttol-the Vaperture therein', and" a; spring p' controlled striker extending lengthwise of said :fork and pivoted' nearthe upper' end to vthe same, s'ai'd striker being pivotedupon'ah endp'or-VV tion of 'said strap.V

singa tu- 'In Witnessv whereof, Al". hereuntorsubsjcribe Y name' this 12th day 'of' February, D.

191s. Y Y 

